With ‘Westerns’ dying out, the old depot gone and while marking time until my moving eastwards for employment came to pass, the old magic had gone, and so records became sparser. At least there was the prospect of “the new” in one of the cities – if I could manage to get a job there – and so I took a few shots in my remaining days in Penzance. I was loathe to leave, but nevertheless considered it essential for my chosen profession. At least my family still lived in the town, and I’d be back for holidays. It took me about seven years, however, to miss pining for the smell of the sea, … but not the noise of seagulls first thing each morning!
Van doors are still open near to departure time of 50022 with an eastbound goods service. Broccoli stalks and leaves beside the track indicate a previous loading. 770124A01-PNZ-50022-GDS_U
08643 is parked in Penzance Station yard, close to its partner 08840. With radical track redesign east of Ponsandane, loco storage now was based here in the station yard. 770326A01-PNZ-08643-SHU_S
46017 picks its way to old Long Rock shed for refueling on the temporary route laid beside the goods shed and new depot. A crane moves concrete to where its required. 770326A01-PNZ-46017-LIG_U
An easterly view of the lightly-laid new track work for storage of stock at Long Rock depot, where the postal is parked. A new building is rising towards the boundary fence. 770326A03-LRK-C_SDG-VI_SE
In the sun, but under a threatening sky, new and old depot buildings stand together at Long Rock. The old steam shed’s roof is being dismantled, and ancillary buildings have gone. 770326A04-LRK-E_SHD-VI_NW
Storage roads are in use by a variety of stock at Long Rock, under lighting gantries which have still to receive lamps. The buffer stops have been concreted over and huts erected. 770326A05-LRK-C_SDG-VIS_W
The dilapidated scene at Long Rock depot with roof-stripping going on and track being prised from its setting. Recovered sleepers lie piled up, and sand is strewn around. 770326A06-LRK-E_SHD-VIS_W
Long Rock MPDs former shed building is about a quarter demolished, with half of the steam shed’s roof gone. Rubbish burns in the diesel shed, and piles of debris lie around. 770326A07-LRK-E_SHD-VI_SW
50016 rests between duties, parked up with others, in Penzance Station yard. The double brick row to the left shows the intended boundary of the abandoned eastern promenade. 770410A01-PNZ-50016-PARKD
A wider view of the Class 50s and 47s parked up in the station yard as an alternative home while Long Rock depot was being rebuilt. The girder framework carries pipework from the boiler house at back left past the awnings over the goods loading area into the station. The photo is taken from the sea wall – a feature I became quite adept at walking along. 770410A01-PNZ-D_LCO-PARKD
These images were taken by me of 253021 – the first High Speed Train to arrive at Plymouth – on 10th April 1977. Although a grey day, the bright primary colours of the train lightened things considerably, and attracted a reasonable size crowd, keen to see the face of future transportation in the South West. It then went to Laira for familiarisation and servicing amid the carriages in the riverside sidings. 770410A03 to 770410A10.
47091 is pictured among the devastation at Long Rock Depot on 12th May 1977. Metal scaffolding protrudes from the pump house remains; part of the roof of the old steam shed has been removed, and everywhere there are removed sleepers and grassless earth. Behind it all is a landscape that hasn’t changed significantly since the buildings were erected in the 1920s. 770512A17-LRK-47091-PARKD
On the run in to Reading, my train – headed by a ’47 and a failed 50 – is pictured fore and aft, with quite a few window hangers making the most of the fresher air outside the carriages. Forward, at Reading West, one or two folk wait for a westbound service, and the DMU depot beyond is beginning to come into view, and back behind, the tail passes allotments. 770704A23-UNK-47XXX-PAS_U
With headlights blazing and the trains generally brightening Paddington Station, production Inter City 125s await departure – 253002 the closest. It was a blessing that Sir Kenneth Grange’s proposals for the front end were accepted, as compared with the prototype design, they are far more aesthetically pleasing and have stood the test of time well, 40+ years on. 770712A25-PAD-253XXX-PAS_D
Taking advantage of a job interview in Aylesbury, and being generously housed by relatives in New Malden as a base, I visited Paddington on my way there, finding services monopolised by HST sets. Tracks are drenched with oil, and with the dull finish of the station paintwork and concrete gives a sad feel to the place, now that ‘Western’ locos were no longer in action there. 770712A25-PAD-253XXX-PAS_D
253022 purposefully follows the sinuous nature of the track towards Paddington Station on 12th July 1977, its marker lights and spotlight brightening its front end. To the left is a parcel train and the right the goods shed with rather heavy duty signal supports protruding from the wall. A Class 47 and some 50s are in the background at Ranelagh depot awaiting duty. 770712A27-PAD-253022-PAS_U
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The Eric Curnow Collection 